Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-24th District), Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) are urging the Air Force to designate Vandenberg Air Force as U.S. Space Command Headquarters.
The three sent a letter Tuesday to the Secretary of the Air Force, Heather Wilson, touting Vandenberg’s location and existing space-related missions as the best choice for U.S. Space Command.
Vandenberg is among six locations under consideration. Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever Air Force Base, Buckley Air Force Base, and Redstone Arsenal are also being considered.
Read the full letter below:
Dear Secretary Wilson,
We write to express our strong support for locating US Space Command at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB). Vandenberg’s existing space-related missions and assets, as well as its proximity to the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) and numerous contractors who support the nation’s national security space enterprise, including space operations, offer Space Command unique and unparalleled advantages.
Vandenberg Air Force Base currently supports West coast launch activities for the Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and various private partners. It also supports space situational awareness through the Combined Space Operations Center, contributes to homeland defense through its Missile Defense Agency capabilities and hosts classified work with the National Reconnaissance Office.
Vandenberg is also proximate to the SMC at Los Angeles Air Force Base. As you know, SMC is charged with developing and delivering the nation’s space assets, and it does so by working with numerous industry partners located nearby. Ultimately, California hosts the nation’s premier workforce for aerospace engineering and innovation, which would offer Space Command an unparalleled talent pool for defending our national interests in space.
We appreciate the Air Force considering Vandenberg Air Force Base as a potential home for Space Command and look forward to the conclusion of the selection process.
Sincerely,
SALUD CARBAJAL
Member of CongressDIANNE FEINSTEIN
United States SenatorKAMALA D. HARRIS
United States Senator
In December 2018, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum creating U.S. Space Command as a unified combatant command to oversee all U.S. military activities in space. It’s seen as a stepping stone to creating a U.S. Space Force, which would be a new, sixth branch of the military.
